Risk Factors for Solitary Seizures

Risk Factors for Solitary Seizures DISCUSSION The aim of this study is to find out the underlying risk factors involved in recurrence of solitary seizure in patient with normal neuroimaging, in patients in whom treatment is not initiated. This will help to guide the patients who are at risk for recurrence. After the detailed history and clinical examination, laboratory and electroencephalogram and imaging, we analyzed the similarities and differences which will help in making conclusions from this study. Comparisons were done with other studies conducted related to this study. In present study total number of 110 cases from OPD (Medicine) and those admitted in wards, Command hospital, southern command, Pune with history of solitary seizure was taken after satisfying the inclusion criteria. In a study by Mussico24 in 2002, subjects less than 25years constituted 48% as compared to 50% in present study i.e 55 cases were < 25 years. Mean age at the time of seizure was 32 years in study of Von Donselaar23 in 2000 and 24.8 years in the study of Mussico24. The mean age at the time of seizure in our study is 29.62 years. The youngest patient was of 18 year and the oldest patient was 70 year old. Hopkins25 in 1998 conducted a study in which most frequent age range was 16-29 years. . This is similar to result of Von Donselaar23 (2000) concluded from his study of subjects who are 20 years or more, in which the most frequently affected age group is 30 years. Study regarding duration of new onset seizure showed that out of 60 cases, 38 cases (63.33%) had seizure for 10 Min. Mean duration of seizure was 5.11 min in our study as compared to 6.23 min in a study by Bernal B, Altman NR58 (2003). Maximum patient (30 cases; 60%) had seizure duration less than 5 min which is similar to the study done by Benbadis SR 59et al. (1995). Male to female ratio is 11:1 in present study. Annegers26 (1996) and Bora27(1995) found a slight preponderance of female cases in their study. Many authors(Von Donselaar23 2000, Mussico24 2002, Hopkins40 1998) report a mild to moderate preponderance of males in their studies. Imaging was done in all 110 cases. It was abnormal in 34 cases (31%) and normal in 76% cases. In patients with with abnormal neuroimaging, antiepileptic treatment was started and remaining cases were followed up for 12 months for recurrence. Bernal B, Altman NR58 (2003) found 37% CT head abnormality in patients presented with single seizure. Wallace60 (1974) conducted a study in which imaging revealed abnormality in 51 out of 132 subjects (38%). But reports in various study varies from 19% (Young34 et al 1982) to 51% (Rogel Ortiz50 F, 2006). CT was diagnostic in 34% case of generalized seizure shown in study by Scolloni Lanzurri G72 (1977) In present study, abnormal EEG was seen in 14 cases (12.73%) out of 110 cases. A Berg and D. Bettis et al98 (2000) found abnormal EEG in 42% of cases of singles seizure during post ictal period in their study. In study done by Van donselar 23(2000), EEG found epileptiform discharges in 29% subjects. In present study, all patient with abnormal EEG or imaging were started on antiepileptics and remaining patient with normal EEG/ imaging were not given antiepileptic treatment (60 cases) and followed up for 1 year for recurrence. Risk factors were studed in recurrence and non recurrence group. Various risk factors such as family history of seizures, childhood convulsion, past history/ evidence of tuberculosis, developmental delay, history of alcohol intake, head injury and sleep deprivation, abnormal neurological examination were studied and were compared with different studies. Family history was present in 3 cases (5%) out of total 60 cases which were followed up in our study, out of 3 cases(5%) with family history of seizure, 1 case has shown recurrence, while Shinnar S and Berg AT 41(1998) found positive family history in 5% of cases which is similar to our study. History of developmental delay was present in 2 cases (3.3%), and history of febrile convulsion were present in 4 cases (6.67%) among the untreated follow up group. Annegers26 (1996) and Bora27 (1996) have shown that neurologic deficit from birth was more common in association with seizure in males as compared to females in their studies. . 3 cases (5%) had history of Alcoholism. (Alc E 1997) shown that alcohol use has been to be a powerful risk factor for a first generalized tonic clonic seizure. Out of 60 cases which were followed, 24 cases had one or more of the above mentioned risk factor. Out of these 24, 4 cases recurred ( 17 %). While in patients without these risk factors i.e in 36 cases only 6 % cases (2 cases) recurred. Hence, presence of these risk factors increases the rate of recurrence in cases of single seizure. American College of Emergency Physician Policy (2004)38 also state that rate of recurrence is more in those patent who has one or more of these risk factors and should be treated with antiepileptic treatment irrespective of CT head and EEG. Out of total number of 6 recurrence, 1(16.7%) occurred within 7 days, 3 (50%) occurred within next 21 days of first seizure, 1 (16.7%) occurred within 1 to 3 months of first seizure. Hence, risk of recurrence decreased with passage of time. Scotoni49 et al (1999) and Das46 et al (2006) has also reported recurrence rate to be much higher in first three months. Rate of recurrence was 10 % in our study i.e. out of 60 patients with solitary unprovoked seizure with normal neurological examination and normal neuroimaging which were followed up for 12 months, 6 cases has shown recurrence, and almost all cases recurred in first 3 months. In previous studies done, rate of recurrence varied from 16% to 71 % (Treinman DM55, 1993), but follow up duration was different. In a study by D. Chadwick48 et al (Lancet 2006), recurrence rate was 21% in follow up of 1 year, most cases recurred within 3 months which is comparable to our study. Scotoni AE et al49 (1999) conducted the study rate of recurrence was 18%, duration of follow up was 6 months in this study. Out of 60 untreated cases 6 (10.0%) had recurrence in next 12 month. 3 cases in 18-25 age group (10.34%),1 cases in 26-35 age group (5.88%),1 case in 36-45 age group (12.50 %),0 case in 46-55 age group and 1 case in >55 age group(50.0%) had recurrence. In study by Mussico 24(2002) in which less than 16 years age group has double the recurrence risk of seizure as compared to 16-60 years age group. 6/ 60 cases had recurrence out of which 4 cases were male and 2 were female, total cases in male group were 55 and in female group were 5, hence recurrence rate was 7.3% in male and 40% in female. This sex difference in our study is due to cases were taken in military hospital, male population is more In study by D. Chadwick 18et al (2006), sex difference in recurrence and non recurrence group was not very significant. Study regarding duration of new onset seizure showed that out of 60 cases, 38 cases (63.33%) had seizure for 10 Min. The mean duration of seizure in recurrence group was 8.17 Â ± 4.44 min as compared to 4.7 Â ± 3.0 min in non recurrence group. Incidence of seizure recurrence is more in patients with longer duration of seizure. Duration of seizure at initial presentation was 10.1 + 5.2 min in the recurrence group and 6.5 + 4.1 min in the non recurrence group in a study by Das C.P.46 et al (2006). Martinovic and Jovic et al 51(2004) conducted a study in which the mean duration of seizure was 26.4 min in recurrence group and 4.6 min non recurrence group in a study. In one of 6 patients(16.6%) in recurrence group, family history of seizure was present compared to study conducted by Das46 et al (2006) and Hauser 43 (1998) repoted that sibling affected with epilepsy is a risk factor for recurrence of seizure in patients with solitary seizure. In our study, history of alcohol intake was present in 16.6% cases in recurrence group as compared to 3.70 % in non recurrence group which is same as those of alcohol and epilepsy study group (1997). Earnest and Feldman et al61 (1988) found similar results history of alcoholism in 12% of recurrent cases after single seizure.

The goals of corporations in maximizing shareholder value

The goals of corporations in maximizing shareholder value The goal of any corporation, excluding non-profit corporation is to maximize its shareholders value .Athough maximization the shareholder value is very important but the manager should not ignore social responsibilities such as protecting consumers, paying fair wages, maintaining fair hiring practices and safe working conditions, supporting education and becoming activelt involved in environmental issues like clean air and water. Because social responsibility creates certain problems for the firm , it falls unevenly on different corporations and sometimes conflicts with the objective of wealth maximization. The objective of the firm is to maximize its value to its shareholders, Any firm in this society have the same tendencies to acquire a successful business, attaining this success through mission statements, goals and objectives is simultaneous through all business. The standard neo-classical assumption is that a business strives to maximize profit , expect to increase revenues more than costs, it means that maximizing in earning per share.The managers are suppose to make money, profit. Therefore, they should make the firm as profitable as they can, they want a high return on investment. Shareholder wealth as the main objective of the firm. The main objective of the management is to maximize profits by maximizing profits at the cost of customer and minimizing cost. Maximizing shareholder wealth and maximizing profit go hand in hand. Both theoretical and empirical literature support the assertion that manager should focus on shareholder wealth maximization. The firm shareholders are the residual claimants and therefore maximizing shareholder return usually implies that firms must also satisfy customers, employees, suppliers, creditors, tax authorities and other stakeholders first. If firms did not operate with the goal of shareholder wealth maximization in mind, shareholders would have little incentive to accept the risk necessary for a business to thrive.Managers with a primary goal of shareholder wealth maximization have impersonal, objective, and accurate information available to make successful decisions for the long-term of the company. Social responsibility creates certain problems for the firm. One is that it falls unevenly on different corporations, another is that it sometimes conflicts with the objective of wealth maximization. Corporate governance is a term that refers broadly to the rules, processes, or laws by which businesses are operated, regulated, and controlled. The term can refer to internal factors defined by the officers, stockholders or constitution of a corporation, as well as to external forces such as consumer groups, clients, and government regulations. The company can not create shareholder value if they ignore important constitiences, they must have good relationship with customers, employees, suppliers, government and so on. This is a form of corporate social responsibility, within an overall framework of shareholder wealth maximization. Kotler and Lee (2005: 10-11) report that there are many benefits to being a socially responsible firm. These include: increased sales and market share, strengthened brand positioning, enhanced corporate image and clout, increased ability to attract, motivate, and retain employees, decreased operating costs, and increased appeal to investors and financial analysts. Pava (2003: 62) provides a reason that many firms do not act in a socially responsible manner. Many executives believe that there must be a trade-off between profits and social responsibility: An activity is either socially responsible or profitable, but it cannot be both. Pava, an accountant, whose research compared socially responsible firms with those that were not, came to the following conclusion (Pava, 2003: 62): Much to my surprise, we were unable to uncover any cost of social responsibility. In fact, the evidence suggested that there might even be a financial advantage for the companies carrying out these projects. Knowing about corporate social responsibility is one way to incorporate how and why a firm should do the right thing into the business curriculum. Kotler, Philip and Lee, N. (2005). Corporate social responsibility: Doing the most good for your company and cause. New York: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Pava, Moses L. (2003). Leading with meaning: Using covenantal leadership to build a better organization. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Our aim is to build a sustainable business through consistent, profitable growth and to ensure that our customers and wider stakeholders can always trust us to do the right thing, the right way. as a business owner, you have to make a choice: you can either make money, or you can do good. you can both make money and do good. Benefit Corporations, commonly known as B Corps, are a new type of corporation. Unlike the traditional corporation that gives priority only to financial profitability, B Corps actually use the power of business to address social and environmental problems. How do they do this? Among other things, they institutionalize stakeholder interests. Instead of taking the shareholder as the primary person to which they are responsible, B Corps give primary consideration to the stakeholder. This is a very important distinction. A shareholder, as we know, is someone who owns shares in a company; a stakeholder, by contrast, is someone who has a stake in the company, regardless of whether he/she actually own shares. Who can have a stake in the company? Anyone who is affected by the actions of that company, such as employees, members of the local community in which the business operates, or members of the community in which the business has an environmental impact. A traditional C Corporation will focus on increasing shareholder profits, often without regard to how that affects other stakeholders. This is why corporations sometimes do not pay living wages or provide inadequate health benefits because those are costs that, if saved, can provide profit for shareholders. B Corps, however, are committing to taking social and environmental interests into account when making decisions. By becoming a B Corporation, you will ensure that your own business meets high standards, join a community of like-minded businesses, and support a larger movement towards sustainable business. Commit to stakeholder interests in your business. Prior to becoming certified by B Lab, you may be able to include your commitment to consideration of stakeholder interests into your legal organizing documents if you are an LLC, which is what I did for Cultivating Capital. However, be sure consult with an attorney about this, preferably one who is familiar with B Corps. The Katovitch Law Firm explains more about the legal implications of being a B Corp on their blog. Identify areas in which you can improve. Even if you do not get certified right away, the Impact Assessment is a tool that you can use to identify areas for improvement in your business. To get started with the Impact Assessment, visit the B Corp website. Support other B Corps. Every dollar that you spend, for yourself or your business, is a vote for either an economy in which businesses can make money at the expense of people and the environment, or one in which businesses can make money in support of people and the environment. Supporting businesses with a social and environmental mission will also help to green your own supply chain. Managers should always strive to act in the best interest of the firms owners. This view does not cause managers to ignore non-owner stakeholders; indeed, when taking actions that benefit stakeholders also benefit owners, the separation perspective would advise managers to do so. One facet that differentiates this perspective from the others, however, is the rationale behind such decisions; the reason managers make decisions and take actions benefiting non-owner stakeholders is ultimately to reward owners. Clearly, problems arise when a given decision would maximize the benefit to non-owners at the expense of owners, but that would serve the greater good of society in general. managers have come to view non-owner stakeholders as essential to firms success, not only in financial terms, but also in societal terms (Rodgers and Gago, 2004). However, this has not eliminated managerial decisions that are overly concerned with financial performance at the expense of other stakeholder interests. The collapse of Enron and WorldCom early in the twenty-first century, charges of accounting fraud against firms such as Tyco and Time Warner, Medicare fraud by HealthSouth and United Healthcare illustrate that despite the apparent logic of an integrated perspective of stakeholder management, some managers still hold to the separation perspective. As shareholders of these and other firms have seen, however, is that sole regard to financial results is not always in the best interests of these shareholders. Those holding Enron and WorldCom stock, even those who knew nothing about illegal activities by the firms top management, quickly came to realize that excluding non-owner stakeholders is not necessarily consistent with maximizing shareholder wealth. In fact, excluding non-owner stakeholders can inadvertently bring more pressure on managers when non-stakeholder interests are not respected. The focus of the ethical perspective is the firms responsibility to stakeholders from a normative view; that is, the ethically correct action should supercede actions based solely on self-interest, thus making managerial decisions and actions that impact stake-holders based on universal standards of right and wrong the rule that managers should follow. This standpoint, though, suffers from shortcoming stemming from different standards of right and wrong. When right and wrong are apparent, decisions are easy, but management challenges are rarely so clear. Simply suggesting that managers do the right thing ignores conflicts of interest inherent in capitalistic competition, and doing the right thing can result in compromises that are not in the best interests of any of the stakeholders, but rather a way to satisfice or make decisions and take actions that are good enough, but not optimal. The ethical view of stakeholders can result in managers overemphasizing the greater good to the poi nt that they ignore the reality of self-interest, particularly as it pertains to maximize shareholder wealth. Integrating the broad categorizations of separation and ethics allows room for both self-interest of owners and corporate responsibility to non-owner stakeholders. An integrated perspective of stakeholders positions the self-interests of managers as a key driver of economic growth, but tempers this with social responsibility toward non-owner stakeholders. Conclusion :It is overly simplistic to suggest that managers should just do the right thing in all situations, because the right thing to do is not always clear. On the other hand, acting solely in the financial interests of shareholders can result in unintended consequences that ultimately cause shareholders harm. Integrating multiple perspectives allows room for managers to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders. Such stakeholder perspectives allow for competing dimensions, thus provide a framework to help managers harmonize the interests of multiple parties. Refer: History of State-Run Enterprises Teach Us in the Post-Enron Era? Journal of Business Ethics 53, no. 3 (2004): 247-266. Crane, Andrew, Dirk Matten, and Jeremy Moon. Stakeholders as Citizens? Rethinking Rights, Participation, and Democracy. Journal of Business Ethics 53, no. 1-2 (2004): 107-123. Heath, J., and W. Norman. Stakeholder Theory, Corporate Governance and Public Management: What Can the History of State-Run Enterprises Teach Us in the Post-Enron Era? Journal of Business Ethics 53, no. 3 (2004): 247-266 Lea, D. The Imperfect Nature of Corporate Social Responsibilities to Stakeholders. Business Ethics Quarterly 14, no. 2 (2004): 201-218. Rodgers, W., and S. Gago. Stakeholder Influence on Corporate Strategies Over Time. Journal of Business Ethics 52, no. 4 (2004): 349-364. Bingham: Not only is maximizing shareholder wealth consistent with ethical behavior, but maximizing wealth for shareholders in the long-term is only possible by behaving ethically. Unethical behavior is bad business. It incurs costs and damages a companys reputation. Both affect the bottom line. Shareholders demand ethical behavior for a basic financial reason, namely that they bear the costs of environmental cleanups, lawsuits, fines, and product recalls. For instance, the clean up of Prince William Sound in Alaska, following the Exxon Valdez spill, cost the shareholders of Exxon over $2 billion. Likewise, General Electrics shareholders paid a $69 million fine in 1992 after the company pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent government contracts. Unethical behavior, by sullying a companys reputation, also affects future business. When Beech-Nut admitted that it had sold adulterated apple juice, not only did shareholders foot the cost of the numerous lawsuits, but they also saw their companys market share drop three percent in the year following the scandal. A recent example shows how shareholders suffer from unethical practices. In the summer of 1992, the California Department of Consumer Affairs conducted a number of undercover investigations at the auto repair stores of Sears, Roebuck Co. They found systematic overcharging, and regular performance of unnecessary repairs. A similar operation in New Jersey reached the same conclusions. California consumer regulators demanded the closure of all 72 Sears auto stores in the state. If the closure occurred, Sears would lose $200 million in annual revenue, and 3,000 employees would lose their jobs. Sears settled the New Jersey accusations with a payment of $200,000 to a fund set up to study auto malpractice nationwide. At least a dozen class-action suits relating to the fraud were filed. The scandal also deeply affected Searss reputation at a time when it needed all the goodwill it could get. The Auto Stores, one of Searss most profitable operations, saw a 15% decline in business in wake of the scandal. This shows how unethical behavior is deeply damaging to shareholder wealth. Maximizing such wealth is only possible when a company acts as a resolutely ethical corporate citizen. Management do their shareholders good by doing right. The argument that maximizing shareholder wealth is inconsistent with ethical behavior goes like this: shareholders are inherently short-termist, they are more interested in a companys performance over a quarter, than over a decade. The result is that managers cut corners and break rules to avoid charges to quarterly earnings. This argument is false. Americas shareholders today are mostly giant institutions pension funds, insurance companies, trusts and endowments whose view is long-term. They do not attempt to beat the market by short-term trading because increasingly, they are the market. For example, the average holding period of U.S. equities by the largest public pension funds, the California Public Employees Retirement System, is eight years. For them, the long-term health of a corporation is critical, and that means conforming to a high standard of ethical behavior. Rosenbaum: Your first question cannot be answered yes or no without a better understanding of the terms used. If by ethical behavior you mean not lying, cheating or stealing, the answer is clearly yes. But if you mean ethical behavior in the broader sense of not intruding on the interests of any other stakeholder, as I am assuming you have in mind, the question poses one of the principal issues of the 1980s. I believe most shareholders today would try to answer this question in the affirmative, but to do so requires some additional qualifications. If we exclude short-term maximization of shareholder wealth, and focus only on the long-term interests of the corporation, on the premise that shareholder wealth will increase accordingly over time, there is no necessary inconsistency between that objective and ethical behavior broadly understood. As courts and ethicists have understood for some time, socially responsible corporate behavior is usually in the long-term interests of the corporation and therefore of its shareholders, such as by generating goodwill among those interest groups on whom the corporation depends for its prosperity in the long run. If you unduly pollute the air in the town where your widget factory is based, for example, you will ultimately encourage new laws which might shut the factory down. When we talk of financial ethics, we seem to be talking about two different types of considerations, which are quite different. First, we are talking about societal considerations, such as environmental concerns and balancing the interests of the corporation against those of stakeholders. Second, we are talking about preventing conduct which is either a violation of law or is sufficiently close to the line of illegality that the corporation has determined not to take a risk of violation, particularly without careful consideration at senior levels. I would like to address myself for the moment to the second of these two concerns. When speaking about ethics issues of this type, the role of ethical principles is essentially to supplement and reinforce legal strictures. In these highly competitive days, when corporations are under enormous pressure from shareholders to produce financial results, financial executives face substantial temptations to take measures which, for example, might make their corporation or division appear more profitable than it is. Most executives are strong enough to resist these temptations. A senior manager in a publicly traded corporation, on the other hand, is separated from the pleasure and pain of owning the entire equity funded portion of the firm and it is not their own money at risk. They are typically employed via a contract which specifies remuneration and responsibilities, but they do not personally bear the entire financial consequences of decisions made. As shareholders, we ask the Board of Directors and the senior management to act in our own selfish interest as equity holders. We structure the contracts in a manner we hope will be sufficient to both reward them for outstanding decision making and we reserve the right to remove them when things are not performing up to expectations. Like everyone, management is self interest motivated and can easily forget or ignore shareholder interests in hopes of personal gain. The business news of the past 3-5 years has been full of such events including Enron, Tyco, World Com and others. It is unlikely that any former shareholder or employee of Enron would view the senior management as acting in an appropriate manner as an agent working on their behalf! In the short run, share prices were higher and wealth was increased, but the longer term consequences were devastating to any investor who was not sufficiently diversified to avoid the full brunt of the collapse.

Essay --

One example of government is a regime ruled by democratic ideas. A government under this type of rule has specific qualities that distinguish it as a democracy. For instance, many people can have an impact to a democracy; they can possess some power. "It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few" (Benjamin Jowett). However, when one citizen among the people stands out, it can be a positive aspect towards public service. As stated in The History of Thucydides, "when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the public service, not as a matter of privilege, but as the reward of merit" (Benjamin Jowett). A citizen that is different from the rest should not be taken as beneficial towards public service, but as a gift of excellence. A democracy allows citizens to have this ability. In addition, a government under democratic rule consists of laws that create an equity among citizens. "But while the law secu res equal justice to all alike in their private disputes, the claim of excellence is also recognized" (Benjamin Jowett). Conflicts and issues can occur in a society, but laws play a role in taming them. This is a reason as to how people are granted the same amount of justness and fairness among each other. Two characteristics among a democracy include having a unique citizen that is right for the public, and allowing laws to protect everyone's fair play. Another type of government is an association under absolute control. Absolutism is the idea of governing by divine right, in which the ruler can come off as believing they are superior. This idea can be the cause of persuading rulers to be better than other parties. As stated in A History of Western ... ...shed democracy ends due to Ralph not receiving enough respect from others, and lacking the ability in ruling efficiently. Ralph's formation of his democratic government goes wrong when these two characteristics lead to a formation of another society that ruins his own. In the real world, there are two forms of government: an absolute government and a democratic government. A government under absolute control does not provide citizens with proper freedom or fair rights, while a government under democratic rule does. Citizens play a role in both of these types of government. Under absolute control, they serve to the government. In a democracy, they have an equal right, just like a figure of authority. In Lord of the Flies, a character named Ralph tries to commence a democracy that consists of justice and freedom, but cannot achieve this effort due to this flaws in

Japan On Its Way To Be The Worlds Largest Economy Essay -- essays rese

Japan On Its Way To Be The World's Largest Economy Japan has performed a miracle. The country's economic performance following its crushing defeat in World War II is nothing short of astounding. The economic expansion of Japan is second to none. All of the elements are in place for Japan to continue increasing its share of the world's wealth as America's gradually declines. The country is on track to becoming the world's largest economy. How did Japan do it? There are many theories and studies that have traced the Japanese miracle without success. The answer to the mystery can be found by examining Japan's culture, education, and employment system. Japan's success is not just a case of good technique and technology in business, but a real recognition and development of the necessary human skills. A better understanding of the Japanese society provides the framework to understanding the workings of Japanese business (and possibly the Japanese mind.) The ways of the Japanese provide a foundation for their economic adaptability in modern times. Japan is a culture where human relations and preservation of harmony are the most important elements in society. "It is their sense of identity and destiny which gives their industrial machine its effectiveness."1 "Among the Japanese, there exists an instinctive respect for institutions and government, for the rules of etiquette and service, for social functions and their rituals of business. Japan is a traditionally crowded island, the people are forced to share the limited space with each other and to live in harmony.. The Japanese are very protective of their culture. They are very conservative to outside intrusion. Their distinctive ways are a source of pride and national strength."2 Japan's striving for purity is very different form a North American idea of open doors and diversity as strength. Japan is relatively closed to immigration to outside countries. However, this feeling of superiority does not stop them from being careful. "This is probably because the Japanese know their economic house is on shaky ground, literally. Japan is eternally at nature's mercy, vulnerable to the sea that surrounds it, to earthquakes of the soil beneath it and a real shortage of raw materials, particularly food and fuel."3 A period of extended isolation could be disast... ...e power of the Japanese. Is it an economic slump when "in the first four years of this decade, Japanese exports soared by 32 percent, the yen rose 27 percent, and Japanese employers created 3.2 million new jobs. Japan is not crumbling, it has now surpassed the U.S. to become the world's largest manufacturing economy and is ready to claim the lion's share of the world's growth."23 Attacks on Japan's ways are countless. Obviously there are many problems with the way they run their country. Yet, no one can ignore the economic success that Japan has had. The roots of the success can be traced back to the skills developed through culture and education, and the healthy attitudes developed by the Japanese employment system. The Western world could learn much from what makes the Japanese successful in business. It is not just a case of adopting Japanese techniques and technology but of recognizing and developing the necessary human skills. The East has borrowed heavily from the West in improving its business performance; the West could also take note of the lessons of Japanese history and culture and consider applying them in its own organizations.

The Media and Violence in our Society Essay -- Violent Gaming Video Ga

Violence has always played a role in the media. It is found everywhere around the world. Media does contribute to violence in our society. This essay will prove that media does contribute to violence in our society by examining music, video games and Web Sites. Firstly, one form of violence which influences behaviour in our society is music. This sort of media is a concern to parents who are interested in the development and growth of their children because of the negative and destructive themes of some kinds of music. Let’s take for example the rap artist Eminem. In his album â€Å"Marshall Mathers†, he talks about murdering his wife, and plans to rape and murder his mother. These violent lyrics promote hatred against women. However, his â€Å"Marshall Mathers† release sold 679 567 copies in Canada in 2000 and was also the year’s best selling album. These type of music influences teenagers on believing that it is ok to disrespect women and have an aggressive behaviour as well. If a teenager is constantly preoccupied with music like this, that has destructive themes, there c...

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 2

For a few seconds, I was no longer at the party. My mind's eye flashed back to where I stood on a cliff outside the town I'd grown up in, barely old enough to be called an adult by today's standards. And Niphon was there, smiling at me, promising me he had all the answers and could make my problems disappear†¦. I shook my head, driving off the memories and returning to the party at hand. His smile grew, an evil smile that promised even more evil things. I could have been facing Eden's serpent himself. â€Å"I knew you had it in you,† he continued, stepping toward me. His voice stayed soft. â€Å"I knew it the minute I saw you. I can't wait to find out firsthand just how†¦experienced you've become.† My defenses snapped into place, and I stepped back. â€Å"Touch me, and I'll break your fucking neck.† â€Å"Such ingratitude, considering I made you what you are.† â€Å"Stay away from me.† He started to move forward again, and my heart leapt to a pace that would have killed most humans. Suddenly, Jerome's voice fell over us, and I realized the room had become silent. â€Å"Leave her alone, Niphon. She said no.† The imp paused and made a pleading face. â€Å"Aw, come on, Jerome. What kind of demon doesn't share his goods?† â€Å"You aren't here to fuck my succubus. If you can't do your job, I can replace you.† Jerome's voice held a warning note that even an asshole like Niphon couldn't ignore. Maybe someone would be consigned to Hell tonight after all. Disappointingly, the imp inclined his head in obeisance and backed off. The look he gave me warned we would have a later conversation. I walked over to Jerome. â€Å"Maybe you should have given me a heads up earlier.† â€Å"And ruin things for you lovebirds? Hardly something a die-hard romantic like me could do. Besides, I told you to come early.† Hugh snapped his cell phone shut and wandered over to join us. He kissed my cheek. â€Å"Hey, sweetie. Big things going on here.† My already enormous sense of dread grew by leaps and bounds. â€Å"Such as?† â€Å"Re-org. Seattle's lines have been redrawn. We're getting another succubus. Or, well, we've got one.† My jaw dropped, and I replayed Niphon's earlier words. â€Å"You are so joking.† â€Å"Afraid not. This is Tawny.† Robo-Blonde pranced over on her stiletto heels and tried to shake my hand again. I kept it out of reach, fearing for my bones. I forced a smile. â€Å"Hi, Tawny.† I turned back to Jerome and jerked my head at Niphon. â€Å"Why is he here then?† â€Å"I acquired her,† the imp explained. â€Å"Acquired† was a nice way of saying he'd bought her soul for Hell, just as he'd purchased mine. â€Å"It's my job to stay and watch her until she's settled in and taken her first victim.† â€Å"No one ever did that for me,† I recalled. â€Å"You sort of threw me to the wolves.† I'd had to be some innkeeper's sex toy in Constantinople for a few years until I'd learned the succubus ropes. Niphon shrugged. â€Å"HR's new policy. Just think of all the time it'll give us to catch up.† Giving Tawny a sidelong glance, I hoped her adamant desire to destroy men everywhere meant she'd be a quick study. Eyeing her leopard-skin skirt, I had my doubts. â€Å"Well. Fantastic. Now that I'm up to speed, I guess there's no need to stay – â€Å" Hugh shook his head, suddenly becoming my-friend-the-imp as opposed to the all-business imp. I could tell from his expression that I wouldn't like what he had to say next. â€Å"There's something else you need to know. For the next year or so, you have to be her†¦uh, mentor.† â€Å"Mentor,† I repeated flatly. He nodded, looking sympathetic. Jerome watched our exchange with amusement. â€Å"What, um, does that mean for me exactly?† Hugh set his briefcase on a coffee table and pulled out what looked like the kind of copied-and-bound manual Kinko's would run off. He tossed it to me. I caught it and nearly keeled over. The thing had about eight-hundred pages. Mentor's Official and Complete Procedural Handbook on Initial Succubus Intake and Probationary Period (Abridged). â€Å"Abridged?† I spun toward Jerome. â€Å"Tell me you're getting back at me for the time I accused you of wearing Old Spice.† â€Å"That one's still coming,† said the demon. â€Å"This one's for real.† â€Å"I can't do this, Jerome. I don't have the time! Do you know how much stuff I've got going on? I'm still training the new assistant manager at work – â€Å" He stood up with speed a vampire might have admired. He leaned toward me, the amusement gone from his face. â€Å"Oh gee, Georgie. How inconsiderate of me to take you away from your human boyfriend and your crucial-to-the-world bookstore job and all the other fucking absurdity in your life! Let me just go ahead and tell my superiors that you've got more important things to do than answer to the powers who control your immortal soul and could wipe out your existence in the blink of an eye.† Heat flooded my cheeks. I didn't really appreciate being verbally bitch-slapped in front of Niphon and Seattle's entire dream team of evil. â€Å"I didn't mean it like that. I just – â€Å" â€Å"It's not up for debate any longer.† His words crawled over my skin. I swallowed. â€Å"Yes, Jerome.† Even I knew when to back down. Silence fell. A smirk played over Niphon's face. â€Å"A human boyfriend. How terribly quaint. I can't wait to hear all about it.† â€Å"I think it's cute,† said Tawny. â€Å"I hope you're making him suffer.† â€Å"Their romance is a great tale of self-exploration,† remarked Hugh, straight-faced. I shot him a glare. As a sexual workaround, Seth and I found we could do unto ourselves what we couldn't do to each other. I'd never actually told my friends about this solution, but they'd kind of figured it out. With the drama complete, the rest of the room lost interest in me. Tawny did not, however, and immediately began talking to me about the joys of ripping out men's hearts and watching them cry. I left her as quickly as I could, working the room and talking to those I hadn't seen in a while. I was good at smiling and making people laugh while all the while, my mind spun and processed this new complication. When I finally found Cody, Peter, and Hugh huddled in a corner, I breathed a sigh of relief. I could tell from the looks on their faces that this was the most hilarious thing they'd seen in a while. Cody, young for a vampire but ancient compared to Tawny, threw an arm around me. His shaggy blond hair was tamed into a short stub of a ponytail. He was perpetually laidback and upbeat, and his â€Å"youth† always made the rest of us want to baby him. â€Å"Oh, man. This is going to be great. You are so screwed.† â€Å"As if,† I said, squirming away. â€Å"You think I'm afraid of her?† â€Å"I am,† said Peter with a shiver. He had thinning brown hair and wore casual yet exquisitely coordinated clothes, all the way down to his argyle socks. He was an old vampire, close to my age, and was Cody's mentor. I'd never thought much about their mentor-apprentice relationship before. It always seemed pretty effortless, but then, Cody was no Tawny. I followed Peter's gaze to where the new succubus animatedly told a story to a stone-faced demoness named Grace. From the dangerous jiggling of Tawny's breasts, it looked as though the structural integrity of her shirt could only last so long. â€Å"I don't think you're afraid,† said Hugh slyly. â€Å"I think you're jealous.† â€Å"Of what exactly? Bad fashion sense? An ergonomically unsound bustline? I have nothing to be jealous of.† â€Å"Whatever. I saw your face when you heard we were getting a new succubus. Looks like someone isn't going to be the only girl in our little clique anymore.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, we'll have a new little sister to fawn and fret over. You'll have to share the spotlight.† â€Å"I'm not sharing anything,† I said huffily. Peter laughed. â€Å"So it does bother you. Can't wait until the fur starts flying.† â€Å"Her fate is in your hands,† said Cody. â€Å"You should make her call you ‘Miss Georgina,'† added Hugh with a mocking southern drawl. â€Å"Or at least ‘ma'am.'† Niphon's presence and Jerome's lecture had put me in a grouchy mood. â€Å"I'm not doing any mentoring. She's so gungho to take on the world's male population, she doesn't even need me.† The three men exchanged more smirks. Cody made some hissing and meowing sounds, scratching at the air. â€Å"This isn't funny,† I said. â€Å"Sure it is,† said Cody. â€Å"Besides, don't you want to help others? Where's your sense of goodness and charity?† â€Å"I think I cashed that in when I, you know, sold my soul to Hell.† Peter waved his hand. â€Å"Details, details. ‘Tis the season to put aside petty rivalries and animosity. You've got to get into the holiday spirit. You probably haven't even put up your Christmas tree yet.† â€Å"I'm not getting a tree this year.† The smile slipped from Peter's face. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Oh, shit. You've done it now,† said Hugh. â€Å"I already got lectured earlier for not having one.† â€Å"You're a Scrooge,† Peter told him while still looking at me. â€Å"No one expects that kind of festive cheer from you. But Georgina†¦didn't you have a Christmas tree last year?† â€Å"Yeah. Somebody burned it down. At my Christmas Eve Martini Party.† â€Å"I was there,† said Peter. â€Å"I don't remember that.† â€Å"You were drunk. You'd already passed out.† â€Å"What kind of sick bastard burns down a Christmas tree?† Hugh and I exchanged glances. â€Å"That's an excellent question,† I said dryly. Peter looked startled. â€Å"Was it you?† he asked Hugh. â€Å"No,† said the imp. â€Å"It was Carter.† â€Å"Your Christmas tree was burned down by an angel?† asked Cody. He hadn't been with our group last December, so this was all new to him. And Peter too, apparently. â€Å"Yup. The irony isn't lost on me,† I said. â€Å"He had his ashtray too close to where a branch was hanging down.† â€Å"Well, I think he did you a favor,† said Hugh. â€Å"You can get a fake one now. They're easier. No watering. No woodland animals. Besides, you can get them to match your d? ¦cor. Did you notice Peter's is ‘pissed-off ocean green'?† Peter sighed. â€Å"It's ‘jaded sea green.'† I followed their gazes to Peter's monstrosity of a Christmas tree. Nine feet of perfectly shaped needles draped in gold tinsel and red glass ornaments. Everything on it coordinated. In fact, I suddenly realized, it matched Peter's outfit. The tree looked like a display model from a department store. The green in the multicolored bejeweled star on top even seemed to bring out the blue in the ‘jaded sea green.' â€Å"At least you don't have an angel on top,† I said. â€Å"Because that would have been kind of wrong. And possibly a fire hazard.† â€Å"Joke all you want,† the vampire said, â€Å"but you have to have a Christmas tree. Oh, yeah – you also have to draw a name for Secret Santas.† I groaned. â€Å"Are we doing that again?† â€Å"Let me go get the cup,† he said, trotting to the other side of the kitchen. I looked at the other two. â€Å"A vampire obsessed with Christmas. That has to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard.† â€Å"No weirder than an angel burning down a Christmas tree,† pointed out Cody. Peter returned with a reindeer mug that held a few folded pieces of paper. He held it out to me. â€Å"Not many left. Pick.† I pulled out a slip and opened it. Carter. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† I swore. â€Å"I hate Christmas.† â€Å"You do not,† said Peter. â€Å"You just have to get a tree. Then you'll feel better.† My eyes drifted from the star, down to Tawny and Niphon. â€Å"What I have to do is get out of here,† I told them, setting my glass on the counter. I made my good-byes to them and endured a bit more teasing about my new mentoring job. As I walked to the door, I overheard Jerome saying to Grace, â€Å"†¦but I'll be out of town for a few days.† I suddenly realized I needed to ask him something. â€Å"Hey, Jerome.† He turned from the demoness, shooting me an impatient look. In as few words as possible, I recapped how I'd woken up without the energy I'd stolen the previous night. Jerome listened, looking bored. â€Å"What'd you do last night? Bursts of shape-shifting? Rocket science? Heavy lifting?† I didn't need him to tell me what sorts of things would burn through my energy. â€Å"I didn't do any of those things. I just slept. I did dream, though.† â€Å"Dreams only suck the life out of humans, not us,† he remarked dryly. â€Å"It's what keeps Hell in business.† Seeing my expression, he sighed. â€Å"It's probably nothing, Georgie. Mental exhaustion'll do it. You probably spent the whole night unconsciously wrestling with sexual temptation.† I didn't appreciate his flippant answer, but there was nothing I could do about it. I left the party, driving home at a reasonable speed limit this time. As soon as I cleared the door, I tossed that ridiculous manual to the floor. It landed with a ground-shaking thump that made my cat Aubrey puff up her tail. â€Å"Sorry,† I mumbled, scratching her black-speckled head in consolation. Traipsing to the bedroom, I promptly dialed Seth on my cell phone. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"Hey. You have to come over here tonight.† A pause. â€Å"Well, I could, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh, come on! You won't believe what I just went through. We're getting another succubus.† He paused again. â€Å"I'm not really sure how to respond to that.† â€Å"Respond by getting your ass over here. I need you.† â€Å"Thetis†¦I'm so close to the end here. Four chapters away. And I got this idea while we were having breakfast†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groaned. Cady and O'Neill had defeated me again. Before actually meeting Seth, I'd worshipped him from afar as a literary genius, reading his novels over and over. Now I knew the dark truth about being a bestselling author's girlfriend. Hearing my silence, he reluctantly added: â€Å"But, I mean, if you really need me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, no. Don't worry about it. It's okay.† â€Å"You don't sound like it's okay. I know how women work. You say that, then you'll hold a grudge against me forever. Literally.† â€Å"No, really. It's fine. I'll be seeing you tomorrow anyway. Besides, as soon as I get out of this dress, I'm just going to pass out anyway.† No way was I starting that procedural tome. â€Å"You're wearing a dress?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"You weren't wearing one earlier. What's it look like?† I started laughing. â€Å"Ooh†¦are you trying to have phone sex with me?† â€Å"Phone sex? Hardly. We haven't even had a phone first date.† â€Å"It's not that hard. You see, I tell you how the dress has a really low neckline with nothing underneath. Then, you tell me how you'll reach out and peel it off and stroke my – â€Å" â€Å"Oh my God. No. We are not doing this.† Typical Seth. He could write sex scenes that set the page on fire or dialogue clever enough to impress even me. Make him vocalize any of it, and he choked up. He was shy around others, fearful in large groups, and much happier staying an unnoticed listener. I sympathized but sometimes had trouble really comprehending it, considering how often I became the center of attention. I liked to think he'd improved a bit since we got together, but he had a long way to go. â€Å"It just takes practice. Here, I'll help you. Picture it. I'm getting on my knees and slowly unfastening your pants – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, look. If you really want to go through with this, I'd be happy to, you know, go get on my computer and IM it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh good grief. Go work on your book.† I hung up the phone and sat down on my bed. Good Lord. My weekend had taken an abrupt U-turn. Like it or not, I supposed it had been only a matter of time before a new succubus joined the ranks here. Seattle had grown significantly over the years, and I could only do so much. But a green succubus? One I had to train up? If I hadn't known such administrative decisions were out of the demon's hands, I would have accused Jerome of doing it on purpose. It was on par with his sense of humor. Why couldn't we have just gotten some antisocial pro who did her job without ever interacting with me? And Niphon†¦well, that was the coup de gras. I didn't like being reminded of my past, and I didn't like him. Something told me he had it in for me, though I couldn't entirely fathom why. He'd bought my soul and recruited my eternal services. What more was there? Wait and see, a warning voice whispered in my head. I shivered. Tawny couldn't make her first score a moment too soon. Suddenly, I didn't feel like passing out after all. I wanted to go out. Not for a victim or anything†¦just to, well, be out. Grab a drink. Do a little flirting. It might salvage the train wreck I'd just endured. I headed downtown to the Cellar, a favorite watering hole for local immortals. After Tawny's coming-out party tonight, I doubted anyone I knew would be there. A little alone time suited me just fine. Yet, as I entered the crowded bar and slipped through the drinking, laughing patrons, I felt a cool sensation tickle my immortal senses. It made me think of crystal and ozone. Scanning around, I finally found Carter sitting across the room at a round table. Seattle's most powerful angel – and the one who had burned down my Christmas tree – had sensed me too, and a slight smile curled his lips in greeting. Although he naturally hadn't been at Hell's all staff meeting, he did have a tendency to hang out with my little clique. It had weirded me out at first, but I'd since come to view him as a normal fixture in my life, albeit a strange and badly dressed one. More startling than seeing him out tonight, however, was his assortment of companions. Three angels and a human – none of whom I'd ever met before. All of them watched me, displaying curiosity and – for one of them – scorn at my presence. Whatever. He could scorn all he wanted. It would take more than an angel posse to get to me after everything I'd experienced today. Carter's company did strike me as odd; I'd never known him to work with others. A grudging curiosity rose up within me, wondering what could have brought them all together – with a human, no less. Noting my scrutiny, Carter winked and made a small gesture of invitation, much to the astonishment of two of the angels. I nodded back in acknowledgement, first stopping by the bar to get a vodka gimlet. When I walked over a minute later, I put on my best saucy succubus attitude and pulled up a chair beside Carter. â€Å"Well, well,† I said. â€Å"I feel like it's Rush weekend or something. We're all entertaining guests, huh?† â€Å"So I hear,† he said. He absentmindedly ran a hand through his chin-length blond hair. Unless I was mistaken, it had been washed for the first time in six months. These guests must be serious. â€Å"I also hear one of yours is of a more permanent nature.† I pulled a face. â€Å"I don't really want to talk about that, if it's all the same to you.† â€Å"Can we expect a cat fight soon?† â€Å"That joke is so one hour ago. You want to introduce me to the rest of the class?† This made one of the angels laugh. She had deeply tanned skin and black hair that shone like silk. A merry glitter danced in her eyes as she extended a hand to me. â€Å"Yasmine. And you're Georgina.† I nodded back, unable to help a smile. The one she gave me in return filled me with warmth and joy. Maybe some angels weren't so bad after all. It was a good thing, too, because her companions seemed less thrilled to make my acquaintance. â€Å"I'm Whitney,† said another slowly, a pretty black woman whose hair consisted of myriad tiny braids. She dressed with a fashion sense that met my standards and wore cat-eye glasses that made her look both cute and wise. Her handshake took a moment in coming, but it did come. I glanced at the last angel expectantly. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, paired with a long and narrow face. His expression conveyed clear disapproval and a haughty coldness. Now that was behavior I associated with angels. For a moment, I didn't think he'd speak at all. Then, with great stiffness, he said, â€Å"I'm Joel.† No handshake followed. I turned to the human. He grinned back with as much enthusiasm as Yasmine and flipped his longish dark hair out of his eyes. â€Å"Vincent Damiani. Nice to meet you.† â€Å"You too.† I cut Carter a sly look. â€Å"And all this time, I didn't think you had any friends.† â€Å"You're jumping to conclusions, Daughter of Lilith.† He sipped from what looked like whiskey straight up. â€Å"They're here on business.† â€Å"Ooh. Top secret angel business, huh? What're you going to do? Dance on a pinhead? Lobby for National Cute Puppy Day?† Joel's cold look dropped another ten degrees. â€Å"As if we would discuss our affairs with a dark seductress of evil.† Yasmine elbowed him with an eye roll. â€Å"She's joking.† â€Å"That's what she wants you to think,† he warned ominously. â€Å"I for one am not going to let my guard down while she attempts to use her wily and sinister powers of seduction on us.† Fixing him with a slow, languid smile, I leaned back in the chair, crossing my legs so the skirt rode up my thighs. â€Å"Baby, if I were using my wily and sinister powers of seduction, you'd be the first to know.† A dark flush stained his cheeks. He fixed his gaze on Carter. â€Å"I don't know what game you think you're playing, but you need to get rid of her.† Carter stayed unfazed. â€Å"She's harmless – unless you're a drug-pushing god or a nephilim. Or an introverted writer.† Yasmine flinched, her cheerful countenance becoming sober. â€Å"Don't joke about nephilim.† â€Å"In fact,† Carter obliviously continued, â€Å"she might fix that little logistical problem. Georgina, I don't suppose you'd mind playing hostess, would you? Vincent needs a place to stay while he's in town.† I arched an eyebrow in surprise. Misinterpreting my silence, Vincent hastily added, â€Å"It's okay if you don't want to. I mean, you don't even know me. I can see how that'd be weird.† â€Å"I don't know,† I told him, even more curious as to what was transpiring with this odd group. â€Å"If angels vouch for you†¦well, you can't really get a better recommendation than that. If you don't mind sleeping on the couch, it's fine by me.† â€Å"You're a pearl among succubi,† Carter declared. Joel nearly choked on his drink. Considering his stick-up-the-ass attitude, I doubted he had anything alcoholic. Probably Kool-Aid or Pepsi. Diet Pepsi, at that. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† he exclaimed. â€Å"She's a succubus. You can't subject him to that. Think about his soul.† â€Å"She's not really into nice guys,† Carter said. â€Å"Usually. You won't have a problem.† Yasmine offered Vincent a playful look. â€Å"He's not that nice anyway.† â€Å"Carter – † began Joel. â€Å"I told you, she's fine. Let it go. You have my word. Besides, she won't ask any questions, and it'll give him an accessible place to stay while you guys search.† I jumped on the word â€Å"search.† Now we were getting somewhere. â€Å"What are you guys looking for?† Dead silence met me. Whitney crossed her arms. Vincent sipped his drink. â€Å"Okay, I get it.† I finished the gimlet with a gulp. â€Å"Need to know basis. Mum's the word. Hush-hush and all that.† Yasmine's easy grin returned. â€Å"I love her, Carter. No wonder you keep her around.† She then started talking about another succubus she'd met in Boston, smoothly changing subjects as deftly as Carter could. Guessing what I was thinking, Carter caught my eye and grinned. I rolled my own eyes in exasperation. Nonetheless, as the evening progressed, I found myself liking Yasmine immensely. She, Vincent, and Carter carried most of the conversation, and while angels weren't nearly as fun as the rest of my friends, I found this group entertaining in their own way. They also swore and drank a lot less, but well, nobody's perfect. When the bar closed, I took Vincent with me, but not before Joel issued warnings about the sanctity of the human soul. Vincent listened to it with a patient face, nodding along at the key parts. â€Å"Is he always like that?† I asked on the drive home. Vincent laughed. â€Å"He can't help it. He means well. He's just worried about me.† â€Å"Are you worried?† â€Å"Nah. You're pretty cute, but no, I'm not worried. I'm already in love with someone.† I started to joke that that was no protection against anything, that I'd seduced plenty of guys who thought they were in love. Something in his voice stopped my quip. The way he spoke implied that being in love was indeed protection from me and all the other evils of the world. He spoke like one who was invincible. I suddenly felt sad. â€Å"Good for you,† I said softly. He cut me a sidelong look. â€Å"You're okay for a succubus.† â€Å"Okay enough to tell me what you and the Super Friends are doing in town?† A smile flashed back over his face. â€Å"No.† At home, I set him up on the couch, producing piles of blankets to keep him warm. I kept my apartment at a steamy temperature most of the time, but it was December, and the part of me that still remembered huddling around meager fires in days gone by felt one could never have enough blankets. I soon went to bed, buried under my own stash of covers. This time, I didn't dream.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Pantheism Essay

During the 17th century the people were preoccupied with the belief that the world has a grand design and behind it is a designer who knows and sees all things. This belief was the mechanistic world view in which the designer being pertained to is God. God is the omniscient being, supreme in intellect as well as other aspects. Thus, everything that takes place has a reason and will ultimately lead to something of great lengths. While this theme was popular in the said era, it has been found that even earlier philosophers have already considered seeing a supreme being as the biggest decision maker for all the occurrences and existence. This supreme being is the unmoved mover as stated by Aristotle and the uncaused cause as according to St. Thomas Aquinas’ theory. One of the most popular analogies for this world view is the Watchmaker God analogy. The watchmaker God analogy is used for explaining the existence of God. In this analogy, the watchmaker is God and the watch being created is the world and all who inhabit it. The analogy states that as it is with making clocks, everything in the world was systematic. People exist in places because just like a missing piece, the clock will not function without it. Furthermore, just like a watch, thee world works by combined effort of the parts. Everything is mechanical and based on an intelligent design (Paley). Many people immediately accepted the said analogy especially during the 17th century because this was the era of scientific understanding, and rationality among all faculties of man is the most exercised. By the entry of new philosophers, however, a different world view was introduced. Ralph Waldo Emerson and his theory One of the famous theorist who emerged after the era of the mechanistic world view is Ralph Waldo Emerson. An essayist, poet, and a philosopher, Emerson’s argument became popular in the mid 1900s. Among his theories, transcendentalism earned him the most recognition. Transcendentalism is both a political and philosophical movement. Unlike the mechanistic world view in which man serves as a part of a clock with a very important role to play in order for the entire universe to function, transcendentalism promotes the individuality of a person. It states that the universe functions on its own and each aspect of the universe has a mind of its own, which it uses in order for continued existence. Transcendentalism also contradicts the theory proposed that God is the designer behind the intelligent design of the universe. Rather it states that God is one with the universe and as nature continue to evolve, so does god. Furthermore, Emerson implied that the higher reality is found not only by the usage of human reason but through sense experience (Emerson). From this, it may be gathered that Emerson’s theory directly contradicts the points of the mechanistic world view. The man upholds the power of individual intuition and the sense of self. Instead of accepting that God is the unmoved mover as expressed by Aristotle, he insists that God moves with the world. While the universe is indeed a grand design, Emerson argues that God is not just a designer who fixed people in a certain position. Rather god is present in all that exists. Thus, in being one with nature and all individuals, people are communing and being one with God, not just acting according to the design but purely based on innate confidence on the self (Emerson). Emerson as a pantheist From the given arguments of Emerson as oppose to the mechanistic world view, many conclude that somehow, the poet-essayist-philosopher is a pantheist. This hypothesis may be enforced by looking through the description of a pantheist. According to Owen, pantheism is the philosophy wherein God is believed to be one with the universe. The supreme being is identical with nature and all that exists. In addition, the philosophy insists that everything exists is only one being, which is God. Thus, communing with nature is communing with the supreme being. Putting this in parallel with the transcendentalism theory, Emerson claims that indeed there is God within all existing being. In addition, each being is not placed in a certain position by a designer, instead that person exists as through a person accord. God is not a designer behind everything but a part of the system, part of nature. This points that Emerson is a pantheist. Conclusion From the given facts, it may be drawn that the 17th century saw the emergence of powerful rational minds, which led to the acceptance of the mechanistic world view. This view insists that god is the designer of the complexity of the universe. This world view is put in an analogy called the watchmaker god, wherein God is the watchmaker and the watch is the entire universe. By the entry of the 19th century, however, the theory was contradicted by transcendentalism pioneered by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Emerson’s theory, he argued that God is not but a designer but part of the entire design. This makes him a pantheist, given that pantheism proposes that God is part of nature, moves and evolves with it. This, completely agrees with Emerson’s theory and disagrees with that of the theories of the 17th century, which were founded on rationality. Works Cited Baym, Nina. â€Å"The Norton Anthology of American Literature†. 1998. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. â€Å"Transcendentalism: And Other Addresses†. 1923. Oxford. New York. Paley, William. â€Å"Natural Theology -Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity Collected from the Appearance of Nature†. 1802. Wilks and Taylor, London Owen, H. P. â€Å"Concepts of Deity†. 1971. Macmillan. London